It Gives You Wings!

Saint Paul Travel Blog

Red Bull's slogan "It Gives You Wings" took off quite literally in 1991 with the first Flugtag event in Vienna, Austria. What is "flugtag"? According to redbullflugtagusa.com...

"Red Bull Flugtag challenges the brave and brainy to design, build and pilot homemade flying machines off a 30-foot high flight deck in hopes of soaring into the wild blue yonderâï¿½¦or often, plunging into the waters below. Flugtag, which means "flying day" in German, pushes the envelope of human-powered flight, but competitors need more than airtime to reach the podium. Teams are judged on three criteria: flight distance, creativity of the craft, and showmanship. This criteria has inspired flying tacos, prehistoric pterodactyls, winnebagos with wings and even Snoopy and the gang to grace the Flugtag flight decks! And after a year with no Red Bull Flugtags in the US, 2010 promises to be bigger and better than ever.

I attended the Twin Cities event on Harriet Island in St. Paul along the banks of the Mighty Mississippi River. The event was free and a great way to spend a perfect summer day. Crowds were incredible and reminded me of the wall-to-wall people roaming the Minnesota State Fair, but it was a fun event to attend so I recommend checking it out if one takes place near you as long as you don't mind crowds.

I believe one of the participants (Team 10: Major Trouble and the Dirty Dixies) set a record of the farthest flight at some 200+ feet, but I need to confirm this. I have to admit it was quite amazing to watch this one. Even the Wright Brothers, whose first flight was 120 feet at Kitty Hawk, would be proud!

***UPDATE: Team 10: Major Trouble and the Dirty Dixies' record-breaking flight was measured at 207 feet (63.09 meters). The prior U.S. record was 155 feet (47.24 meters) set in Nashville, Tennessee in 2007. The previous world record was 195 feet (59.44 meters) set in Austria in 2000.***